1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chip component supply apparatus (also referred to herein as a "chip component supply equipment") used in an electronic component placement machine for mounting electronic chip components (hereinafter called chip components) on a circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
The chip component supply apparatus is used in order that as chip components are supplied in pieces, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) to (d), they may be sent successively into the electronic component placement machine, to be positioned at specified places in specified posture, and as to be taken out by a vacuum suction nozzle. A conventional chip component supply apparatus is shown in FIG. 7.
As shown in FIG. 7, chip components 1 are stored in pieces in a hopper 28, and a fixed pipe 27 is slidably inserted in the bottom of the hopper 28. The hopper 28 is driven vertically by oscillating means, not shown in the drawing, and the chip components 1 drop into the pipe 27. The dropped chip components reach a feeder 24 through a coupled flexible pipe 26, and are driven by the feeder 24 to be carried up to a take-out port 25. The chip components are successively taken out by a vacuum suction nozzle 29 of an electronic component placement machine (not shown) at the take-out port 25, and are mounted on a circuit board. In such conventional chip component supply apparatus, however, chip components may pop out of the apparatus or be positioned irregularly due to vibrations of the equipment. The succeeding chip components driven by the feeder 24 may also push the chip components remaining at the take-out port 25 with a very strong pressure, and the vacuum suction nozzle 29 may fail to take them out occasionally. Additionally, irregular chip components broken by some accident may cause jamming in the take-out port 25, thereby causing the interruption of the operation of the electronic component placement machine.
The invention provides a chip component supply apparatus of a novel construction substantially eliminating the aforementioned problems encountered with previously-known apparatus of this type.
None of the conventional chip component supply equipment provides or suggests a means for preventing pushing of the chip component at the take-out port area by the succeeding chip component and for preventing the vibration of the chip components by the feeder. Accordingly, none of the conventional chip component supply equipment provides a means for facilitating the work of the vacuum suction nozzle to take out the chip components. Furthermore, none of the conventional chip component supply equipment uses a stopper placed apart from the take-out port area, to substantially eliminate the risk of the interference of the vacuum suction nozzle and the chip component with the stopper, and irregular chip components causing jamming in the take-out port area. Thus, such conventional chip component supply equipment fails to provide a means for easing the work of the vacuum suction nozzle to take out the chip components.